


Getting Out Alive

by That_British_Writer_Person



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Death, F/F, F/M, Gore, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, Multi, Past Abuse, Suicide Attempt, Swearing, TRIGGER WARNINGS::, Violence, Violence towards major characters, a main may die but it will only be for two chapters, and its a lot later so spoilers, and who also listened to my annoying rambling, i don't like what the show has done to some of the characters recently so they're gonna change a bit, id also like to give a shoutout to @raphaelsdumort on tumblr, lmao rip anyway ily enjoy guys, lots of nasties to creep you out enjoy that, pure izzy, pure jace, pure victor, sebastian dies dont worry, slow burn malec btw, slow zombies and mutated zombies, so he's kinda not gonna die but like a little bit, sort of word war z inspired, there will be running zombies and nasty clicky zombies, who helped me with ideas and confidence, you deserve credit in this shitshow i'm trying my best with
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-19
Updated: 2017-04-04
Packaged: 2018-09-25 11:09:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 15,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9817415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/That_British_Writer_Person/pseuds/That_British_Writer_Person
Summary: When scientist Sebastian Morgenstern, Lydia Branwell and Robert Lightwood ignore their colleague's warnings of injecting a lethal dose of a modified strand of the rabies virus into a human, all hell breaks loose.Magnus Bane, the colleague, along with a bunch of people found in the middle of this nightmare must travel across London from one research facility to the only one left standing in Britain.During this trip, they pick up more people. Friendships and relationships blossom. Secrets are revealed. Betrayal comes to all.Can they survive?Who knows...





	1. Prelude - The Introduction of Magnus Bane

Magnus stared at the people in front of him, completely frozen with a look of utter disbelief on his face.

“You can’t be serious.”

“Deadly.” Lydia Branwell nodded, looking over at Sebastian Morgenstern and Robert Lightwood.

“Yes. Very deadly, my dear. You do this and you’re not only murderers but you’re also fucking stupid. If this gets out it could be the end of everything.” Magnus hoped the distain was heavy and evident in his voice.

“We’re not murderers. We’re scientists. There’s a difference.” Sebastian crossed his arms over his chest, a shit-eating grin on his face. Magnus felt his hand twitch. He was tempted to slap the grin away, which wouldn’t have been the first time he’d done it, but he restrained himself.

“It won’t get out. We have some of the best security in the facility.” Robert spoke up.

“I’m sorry, _Bob_ , but your son isn’t ‘the best security’.” Magnus pointed his finger at Sebastian after staring down whatever reply Robert had been cooking up. “This is not happening. Not in my lab. It’s not happening while I’m alive and here to tell you three fools that this is a bad and reckless idea.”

“Well, I’m sorry you feel that way but it’s happening with you alive and here, or without. I’m not fussy. We’ve already got clearance. We don’t need your permission, Mags.” Sebastian sneered at him.

Magnus felt his jaw tighten at that, disgust curling in his gut. “Don’t call me that,” he snapped, his patience already wearing thin.

“Look. We already have the test subject. He was on death row. He murdered children, Magnus. It’s not like we’re using a priest or child. We’re using someone who can barely be classed as human. We’re doing the world a favour.” Lydia’s voice was so full of confidence that Magnus couldn’t help but flinch at it.

“For crying out loud! Would you listen to yourself, Lydia? He’s still human. This is killing for killing’s sake. We know it works. Without clearance, you,” Magnus pointedly look over at Sebastian before snapping his gaze back to Lydia, “tested it on a rat. Remember? I was cleaning up shredded rat parts for half a day.”

Sebastian rolled his eyes and walked past Magnus, who had placed himself in front of the little vials containing the new modified strand of rabies, purposefully knocking into his shoulder as he went.  

Magnus, who wasn’t particularly fond of being touched in any situation, spun around after staring at his shoulder for a moment.

“You can’t do this.” Magnus didn’t move as Sebastian picked up a vial. Even the smallest drop was lethal. “This is murder.” Magnus took a step forward, ready for whatever he had to do to stop this madness.

“I’m going to have to ask you to leave.” Robert stepped in front of Magnus, holding up a hand. At least the man didn’t touch him. Magnus didn’t budge. “Don’t make me call security.”

Magnus felt the tense energy in the room, his muscles tight and his jaw locked. He stared directly at Sebastian, eyes ablaze with a loathing he hadn’t held for any person in a long time.

“If this goes wrong, I’ll know exactly who to come for first.” With that, he rolled his shoulders back and lifted his chin, turning on his heal and storming out of the lab, leaving his low threat hanging in the air over his colleges heads.

Once in the white, dimly lit hallway he paused, not dropping his stance. He turned his head, a slow movement as he sensed the presence of someone else. Magnus caught sight of wide, hazel eyes staring at him. Alec Lightwood. Magnus couldn’t blame Alec for staring. In this lighting, with his head up and his back straight, he knew he looked rather dramatic. Shadows made his features look sharp, broad shoulders seeming to carry power and elegance even while he was completely stationary. His lab coat fit well, clinging to him in the right ways, showing just enough to make sure everyone around him knew he was not to be challenged. Not now.

Alec blinked, looking away after a moment, the slightest of blushes tinting his cheeks a soft pink. Magnus turned in the opposite direction, stalking down the hallway, unsure of where he was going but ready for whatever was going to face him once he got there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Leave a comment and tell me what you'd like to see or what you enjoyed... if you want to. Love you guys!


	2. The Breach

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The death of Lydia Branwell, Sebastian Morgenstern and Robert Lightwood.  
> The beginning of the end.

The needle sunk smoothly into skin, the brown liquid inside the syringe slowly being pushed into the straining muscles of a prisoner on death row.

“Let’s hope this is quick for you, pal.” Sebastian patted the restrained man’s shoulder with a slight smirk.

The man spat a few curses at the scientist. Sebastian simply shrugged, taking off his gloves before walking out of the containment room. He let the door close behind him, not bothering to check if it had clicked shut. It was a system he had designed. He had complete and utter faith in it.

What he hadn’t seen, however, was a different story to what he believed had been a successful lock-down.

One of the gloves he had carelessly stuffed into his pocket had fallen out, landing at the prefect position to jam the door at the last moment, not allowing it to click shut and lock. The system was already flawed, but this compromised its efficiency completely.

Sebastian took his seat in the other half of the room, ready to sit and observe what happened through the thick glass. Lydia was sat on his right and Robert was on his left. A timer had been started on one of the monitors, already at fifteen seconds since the virus had been injected into the test subject. Sebastian smiled smugly to himself, leaning back to pull out a bar of chocolate.

“Seriously?” Lydia gave him a look before rolling her eyes and looking away as he winked. “I’m starting to think you don’t feel anything at all.”

“I definitely feel some things, sweet cheeks.” He grinned at the disgusted sound Lydia made at the back of her throat.

“Knock it off, the both of you,” Robert warned, not taking his eyes off of the man on the other side of the glass. Both of them fell silent, although Sebastian was still grinning.

At the one minute mark, all three of them were about to get up and give up. A tiny amount had effected the rat in three seconds. It should have worked just as fast…

All three of them turned their eyes back to their test subject.

He was spasming, his body thrashing, hands clenching into fists. His quiet mutterings about ‘weird-arse-scientists’ had now become pained and panicked screeches. His chest was heaving and his eyes were rolling in their sockets.

The spasms only continued to get worse, foam dripping from his lips as blood began to pour out of his nose. The screeches had become a terrible gurgling noise as the man tried to breathe, his face turning a mottled blue color as he drowned slowly in his own saliva and blood.

At the two minute mark, his eyes finally rolled back in his head, the spasms becoming nothing more than small twitches. Lydia stared at the other two, looking both disgusted and amazed.

“It worked,” Robert whispered.

“Of course it did. We’re fucking geniuses!” Sebastian exclaimed.

At that exact moment, the twitching body snapped back to life, sitting bolt upright despite the restraints. There was a crack of bones as the former-man tugged his hand free. Sebastian’s smile faded slightly. Even with the thick glass separating them from him, the demonstration of strength and lack of feeling had disturbed him a little.

“He’s strong.” Lydia moved to grab her tape recorder. An old fashioned method she adored, even when her friends and colleagues chastised her for it. She clicked record and held the device to her mouth. “The subject has become active after two minutes of exposure to the virus. It seems the test subject has become stronger, as if on some type of steroid. There seems to be no true brain function other than base instincts to move and to escape being confined.”

As she spoke, there was another sickening crack. Both hands were now free and the test subject managed to wiggle his feet free. He was up and over to the glass faster than any of them had been expecting. All three jumped when the subject smashed his head against the glass. There was a slight ‘ _thud_ ’ but that was it.

“The subject seems to have no sense of pain. It has broken bones in escaping its restraints and is now continuing to slam its head into the glass of the observation room. It is yet unknown how much human brain function the subject has.”

Sebastian moved close to the glass, tapping on it with another grin. The subject let out a shriek that was almost inhuman, madly flailing against the glass, seemingly attempting to get at Sebastian. Sebastian smirked, pressing his middle finger to the glass as the subject clicked his teeth together in a biting motion.

“Come on then. Try and take a bite.” Sebastian taunted, hitting the glass.

“Stop it. We need to write this up and get reinforcements on security,” Robert said from where he was now sat at one of the monitors.

“Cool it, old man. We’re fine. Nothing can get through that door.” He motioned towards it, the subject’s bloodshot eyes following the gesture. “I designed the system myself.” Sebastian turned away, looking at Robert. Lydia did the same.

With their eyes off him, he slowly began to stalk towards the door, the slight breeze coming through the unlocked door guiding him towards his escape. He sniffed at the crack between the wall and the door with a curios tilt of his head, using his hands to pry at it until it opened.

No alarm sounded.

“I’m just saying I’d feel more confident with more people here to contain this.” Robert stated.

The door didn’t make a sound as it closed.

“It’ll be fine,” Lydia reassured with a smile. “You need to stop worrying so much. You’re starting to sound just like Magnus.”

The subject clicked his teeth together, his slow steps becoming more confident.

Lydia froze at the sound of the clicking, turning her head slightly to look at the containment room. “Guys… Where did he go?” She asked, her voice now a whisper.

Robert looked up from the monitor, his shout coming too late.

The subject launched himself at Lydia, colliding with her, letting out a tremendous scream. Robert was up in an instant and Sebastian dived out of the way. Lydia fell to the ground, her face hitting the ground with a sickening crunching noise as her nose broke. She cried out as the test subject sat on her back, sniffing at the back of her neck. 

Sebastian went for the door as Lydia screamed, teeth sinking into the back of her neck. The sound of flesh being ripped filled the room with Lydia's screams and the test subject's grunts as he devoured a mouthful of Lydia's flesh. Blood dripped from his lips as Sebastian cursed at the door that wouldn't open. They'd locked it before hand, just in case, but he'd misplaced the key. 

Robert ran towards the subject with a scalpel, slashing at it's back as Lydia continued to squirm and cry beneath him. It didn't do anything. He dropped the scalpel and resorted to pulling the giant man off of Lydia's back. It seemed to work until the subject spun around, wild eyes staring at him as blood continued to drip from his nose and mouth. Robert yelled as the subject sunk its teeth into the fleshy part of his shoulder, tearing through his clothes and skin. 

Sebastian ran to the desk, ignoring the cries of his colleagues, picking up the key with shaking hands. He was back to the door in an instant, fumbling with the key to get it into the lock. He finally managed to push in the key and turn it, the subject still taking bites out of Robert's shoulder and neck as he screamed. Sebastian didn't care. He was getting out. The door finally opened and he moved to step out. 

A hand gripped his ankle, yanking him with unfathomable strength. He keeled over, falling onto his shoulder. There was a sickening popping sound as his shoulder was knocked out of place, a scream wrenching its way out of his chest as he was dragged back into the observation room. 

Teeth sank into his ankle, causing him to try and kick the blunt pain away. His foot connected with a jaw, another crunch sounding as he kicked again with enough force to knock the jaw out of place. He looked down to see Lydia, her eyes bloodshot and wild, her jaw and nose at completely wrong ankles as blood dripped from both. Her skin was mottled blue, just like the subject's, veins bulging to the surface of her skin like thick ropes of purples, greens and blues. It was a disturbing sight. 

She began to drag herself up his body, jaw hanging open, letting out blackish saliva as she reached his chest. Her top set of teeth sank into the weak skin in the dip of his collarbone, dragging down and scraping over the bone. Sebastian hollered, noticing the door was still open. He called out for help but was soon silenced by teeth scraping at his neck. Blood rose in his throat, nothing but gurgling coming from him as he chocked out sobs and curses at Lydia. 

The last thing Sebastian saw was the test subject lumbering out of the room and down the corridor, followed by what used to be Robert. 

The world went black for him after that. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Full length chapters will be coming but I'm going to be writing some short ones at the beginning to give you all an idea of what everyone was doing when this started. Each chapter will follow a certain character's experience before they all meet. When they all meet up, that is when the full story telling will begin.  
> I hope you all enjoy.
> 
> Thanks for reading! Leave a comment and tell me what you'd like to see or what you enjoyed... if you want to. Love you guys!


	3. The Soldier and The Genius

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec Lightwood and Isabelle Lightwood

Magnus Bane held his gaze, stood strong and proud. Alec turned his head away, feeling his cheeks flush. He knew who Magnus Bane was. Everyone did. He worked in the part of the facility that created biological weapons, mutating deadly viruses and creating new forms of bacteria that could wipe out a fully populated city in just under thirty two hours. Magnus Bane was a genius. He'd been told as much by his father, who had the honor of working with the man. 

 

When he looked back up, Magnus was stalking down the corridor, lab coat billowing out behind him as if some higher power were bestowing power and grace upon the man wearing it. Alec couldn't help but stare after him, even when he'd disappeared through another door. The soldier felt himself shiver, his shoulders tense and his skin tingling. He shook his head, shifting the gun strapped to his leg and rolling his shoulders back. He couldn't get distracted. Not now.

 

"Alec!" Izzy, his little sister, ran around the corner. She almost collided with him, stopping just short to stare up at him. Alec was about to scold her for being so careless but the grin she had on her face made him soften a little. 

 

"What is it?" He asked, the gentle affection in his voice completely disarming the frown he'd tried to maintain. 

 

"I just had a breakthrough. I figured out what killed our last three bats." She was practically bouncing with excitement. 

 

"Bats- You know what? I don't wanna know why you've got bats." He shook his head, smiling a little as he felt the familiar swell of pride in his chest. "Come on then. Tell me what it was."

 

"I've gotta show you." Izzy reached out, taking his hand and beginning to pull him down towards her lab. 

 

Alec planted his feet. "Iz, I've got a job to do. Dad said-"

 

"Screw what dad said. Raj and Victor are just down the other corridor. It's fine." She gave him a pleading look. "Please? I need another opinion and no one else is around. Aline won't come look because she's got an angry capuchin monkey to deal with and Cat isn't here today." 

 

"Fine." Alec sighed, casting a glance back to the door of the lab before letting Izzy drag him away. 

 

The navigated through the maze of white corridors, each one badly lit and identical. If he hadn't been confined in the facility since he was old enough to contribute to his father's work he wouldn't have had a clue where they were or where they were going. Once they reached the door of Izzy's private lab, identical to ever other lab except for the sticker of Wonder Woman stuck just above the handle, she pushed the door open and shoved him inside. 

 

It took a few moments for him to get used to the badly lit room, everything having to be dark to keep the bats in a docile state. She closed the door quietly, walking through the room as if she could see perfectly. She motioned for Alec to follow her to a table, which he did, watching as he brushed her hair over one shoulder and dipped down to look at the slide under the microscope. 

 

"There's my babies," she cooed with a small smile. 

 

Alec pulled a face. "You worry me sometimes. You know that, right?" 

 

Izzy laughed, a beautiful twinkling laugh that always made him smile. Especially when he'd caused it. 

 

"Come over here and take a look. I promise you, big brother, you won't be disappointed." She looked over at him as he got closer until she had to move back to let him look. 

 

When he peered through the microscope, he couldn't see anything for a moment. He was more focused on the awkward amount he had to bend down. Then his vision focused and the sight he saw was highly disturbing. It was like something out of a horror movie. Tiny bug shaped things were multiplying at a rapid rate, before seemingly absorbing the other tiny bug shaped things around it and repeating the process. It was all rather graphic and Alec found himself grimacing at it. 

 

"What the hell are those things?" He asked softly, unable to tear his eyes away. 

 

"It's a virus I think. From the lab down the hall." 

 

Alec looked over at her. "How the hell did they get into the bats?" 

 

"I think we mixed up the foods for the rats and the bats." She shrugged. "It's that or one of the guys from that lab purposefully injected it into one of my bats."

 

Alec nodded with a slight frown as he looked back at the odd sight under the scope. "And it was passed around the other bats how?"

 

"Through the saliva. Like in a zombie movie. The particular virus travels through the bloodstream once the saliva gets into the mouth or an open wound. The saliva harbors it with other harmful bacteria that will cause paralysis, muscle spasms, heart attacks and deterioration of certain parts of the brain. All in all, the virus somehow spawns a lot of nasty stuff in the saliva while traveling through the body. It seems to kill the host but, within a minute or so, the body is reanimated. From what I've seen, the host is left with nothing but basic survival instincts to feed and procreate... Although they do this through spreading the virus and not through intercourse." Izzy spoke quickly, sounding exhilarated. 

 

Alec watched like she was talking absolute nonsense. He wasn't stupid. He knew exactly what she was going on about. The expression was more to do with how gleefully she was talking about a virus that was straight out of a zombie film.

 

"You're- Are you feeling okay?" He asked, moving to touch his hand to her forehead. 

 

She ducked out of his reach, swatting his hand away with a roll of her eyes. "I'm fine, Alec. This is just exciting, don't you think? All these years and people didn't believe it could be possible to create the undead but here we are."

 

"You are definitely not fine. There's a reason people didn't want to believe it was possible." He gestured vaguely. "The whole apocalypse thing, y'know?"

 

Isabelle watched him with a frown. "Lucky thing we have you here then. You and Raj, Victor, Jace and mom. There’s no way this can get out. Stop worrying yourself.”

The room began to flash red, the whirring sound of an alarm echoed through the facility the second Izzy finished speaking. They stared at each other, watching the swirling red of the warning.

“Stay here. Lock the door. Don’t you dare come out until I get you.” Alec placed his hands on Izzy’s shoulders, dipping down to look into her eyes so she knew he was serious. She nodded.

He pulled out his gun once he’d leant forward to press a kiss to her forehead, turning towards the door. From under the door, he could see the shadows of people running past. And then a shadow stopped right in front of the door, feet shuffling as an odd clicking noise sounded. Alec moved to the door, holding his breath as his hand pushed the handle down.

The door swung open and a body lunged at him before he had time to think. He stumbled back but didn’t fall, his hands pushing hard on someone’s shoulders. He shoved the figure back, getting a glimpse of bleach blonde hair. The shell of Sebastian lunged at him again with strength someone like Sebastian shouldn’t have had. He fell back this time, slipping on something that had been knocked onto the floor in their earlier scrabble.

He landed on his back as Izzy called out his name. He heard his gun clatter to the floor, skidding away from his reach. Alec didn’t have time to reach for it, both hands going up to stop Sebastian from descending on him and ripping his throat out with his teeth.

The flashing red lights created a horrible strobe effect. One second Alec could see the mottled blue flesh and gaping wound on Sebastian’s neck as wild red eyes stared down at him, the next he couldn’t see a thing. He grunted as Sebastian managed to wiggle out of his grip a little, thick blood dripping onto Alec’s chin. Alec turned his head to the side, shutting his mouth and eyes as he held Sebastian up with all his strength, muscles beginning to burn from just how much effort it was taking.

“Get the fuck off my brother,” Izzy growled from above them both. Alec knew what was coming. He pushed with all his strength, letting go with one arm so he could cover his face.

The gunshot echoed through the room, deafening but welcome. Sebastian collapsed in a shower of blood, bits of skull and bits of brain. Alec gagged, waiting for it to stop falling before pushing Sebastian’s body off of himself.

He pulled himself up using the table, shaking off the blood and chunks of flesh he’d gotten on his jacket before turning to Izzy. She looked eerily calm and, even in the odd situation, Alec felt the warmth of pride spread through him again.

“Did you get any in your mouth or eyes?” She asked after a moment, staring at Alec with the gun still in her hand.

“No. No. I think I’m good.” He smiled a little.

She nodded, walking over to him, reaching up to pull a little bit of skull out of Alec’s hair. Alec murmured a thank you before ducking down to pull his back up gun out of where it had been hidden beneath his trouser leg.

The Lightwoods turned together, stood side by side as they stared at the carnage in the corridor. It had taken less than four minutes to spread through half of the facility. It wouldn’t take long before the whole place was overrun. Alec took Izzy’s hand and they stepped out together.

The blood covered soldier and the pristine looking genius fought their way through the corridors and out into the courtyard, finding the first van they could, getting inside and locking the doors only to open them minutes later for a bunch of very unlikely friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Leave a comment and tell me what you'd like to see or what you enjoyed... if you want to. Love you guys!


	4. The Gentleman and The Knight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victor Aldertree and Raj

Raj yawned, leaning back against the wall as he closed his eyes. He'd had the night shift with Victor and was seriously starting to feel the effects of not having slept for over twenty four hours. He felt his breathing slow a little and let out a blissful sigh, letting the warm hands of sleep begin to envelope him.  

"Are you trying to fall asleep stood up again?" Victor's voice cut through the comforting haze of sleep, pulling him out of the beginnings of a very good dream. 

"Yes. Yes I am." Raj nodded, looking towards Victor, who was leaning against the opposite wall. He was watching Raj with an amused sort of curiosity, the corner of his mouth curling up into a small smile that showed just the right amount of dimple. 

"You know how that ended last time. I'm not carrying you to a bed again." Victor crossed his arms, shaking his head. 

Raj felt the heat of embarrassment crawl its way up his neck and to his cheeks, tingling there as Victor continued to watch him. It was true that Victor had carried him to a bed, and had gotten him an ice pack for his head after he'd fallen. He still had the faintest of bruises on his forehead. 

"I haven't slept in a while. I just need five minutes and I'll be fine." Raj let his head fall back against the wall as he closed his eyes again. 

"How about you sit down? That way you can't possibly fall and crack your head on the floor again." Victor raised his eyebrow, smiling when Raj opened one eye to peer at him. 

With a little bit of grumbling, Raj slid down the wall and into a sitting position. He wrapped his arms around himself, eyes closing once more as he tried to get some sleep. It was taking a little longer than he liked. The floor was cold on his bum and the wall wasn't exactly comfortable. He didn't complain though, too tired to open his mouth and speak. It was unprofessional to fall asleep at work, he knew that. He also knew that it was odd for Victor to have suggested a way for him to do it safely. He dismissed the spark of hope in his chest at the idea that Victor may like him more than anyone else they worked these shifts with, tallying it down to Victor being a sympathetic gentleman. 

His eyes opened rather quickly when he felt the warmth of a body next to him. Victor was sat by him, gun in hand, staring at the gun and not seeming to notice Raj look at him. Raj didn't know how to react, staying very quiet and very still. 

"You can use me as a pillow," Victor mumbled as he slowly began to disassemble his gun. "I know the wall isn't particularly comfortable." 

Raj nodded slightly, his heart fluttering in his chest. He moved down the wall a little, leaning his head on one of Victor’s shoulders. For a moment, Raj was lost in thought about the shoulder he was resting on. Victor had strong, beautifully broad shoulders. They looked strong enough to carry the weight of a thousand worlds.

“Thank you…” Raj finally mumbled. “You’re such a gentleman.” He added as a joke.

He felt Victor shift a little to look down at him. “Only for you.”

Raj felt himself freeze at that, mind beginning to race. What was that supposed to mean? Why would Victor say that? Was he teasing? Did he know Raj was harbouring a painfully big crush on him? Was he serious? Was he thinking too much into it?

“Sorry.” The soothing British accent, and voice like molten gold, cut through his frantic thoughts. “That was incredibly cheesy and rather inappropriate.”

“It wasn’t inappropriate,” Raj blurted out. He took his head odd of Victor’s shoulder, looking at him as he felt his cheeks beginning to burn again. “It was nice.”

Victor watched him with a careful curiosity, a small smile spreading. There was a glint of realisation in his eyes that made Raj melt but also made him feel slightly apprehensive. What had Aldertree figured out?

“You thought it was nice?” He asked, voice light and sweet all of a sudden.

Raj swallowed but nodded. “Yes.”

“Well, I think you’re nice.”

Raj stared at the man beside him for a few moments, truly unable to understand what was happening or why it was going down.

“Raj?” Victor tilted his head, waving his hand in front of Raj’s face. Raj blinked.

“I think you’re nice as well,” Raj finally managed to mutter.

Victor’s next smile was breath taking. Raj was treated to a smile that made Victor’s dark eyes glitter, dimples on full show. It was a pure sort of smile that seemed both gleeful and relieved and Raj’s heart couldn’t take it.

“So. What action do you think we should take?” Victor’s voice was soft, a sight bit of teasing in it but nothing unkind.

“Well. That depends. Either this stays platonic or- or you let me take you on a date this Saturday.” Raj shrugged, hoping his slight stutter hadn’t given away how nervous he was.

“I like the sound of that date.” Victor smiled softly. He was being very smiley at the moment. It was nice to see.

“Then it’ll happen. We’ll go out for dinner this Saturday.” Raj nodded, a sudden wave of confidence taking over.

“I look forward to it. Now, Raj, I must insist you get some sleep.” Victor nudged him gently with his shoulder.

Raj nodded, unable to stop his own smile spreading as he let himself lean against Victor again. He closed his eyes with a content sigh, feeling himself slowly slipping off to sleep once again.

A scream came from down the corridor. Raj snapped his eyes open. He hadn’t even managed to get to sleep fully before something was going down. Just his luck.

He and Victor stood at the same time. The screams continued and Raj realised that they belonged to Sebastian. He didn’t move an inch. Neither did Victor. Both of them were trying to gauge what was going on and why the screams were occurring.

The flashing red of the warning lights began, the alarm whirring to life a few seconds later. Victor’s hand tightened on the gun he’d been slowly inspecting only a couple of minutes before. Raj’s own gun was still strapped to his thigh, his hand twitching as he moved to place his hand over it. They watched and waited quietly.

There was screaming coming from around the corner again but this time it didn’t sound right. It sounded inhuman. It was a gargled snarl that seemed to have been ripped from something that was filled with so much rage it just couldn’t contain it.

Victor took the first step forward as fast footsteps began. In the odd flashing red, the other lights having become dimmer, Raj could make out the shadow of someone coming fast towards the corner. Victor stepped around the corner as Lydia hurtled into view. She collided with Victor, knocking him over with the sheer force and speed she’d slammed into him.

Victor landed, the sickening sound of his head hitting the floor made Raj flinch. The other man seemed to still for a moment, Lydia dipping down to sniff at him. Raj noticed there was something very wrong with her. There was blood dripping from her mouth, her jaw and nose at very wrong angles. The movements she made were jerky and odd, like something learning how to use a human body.

“Lydia?” Raj asked, foolishly. He knew that she wouldn’t respond. Something about the situation made him think of the horror movies he’d watched as a teenager when he’d been obsessed with the mindless violence and clever plots.

Lydia opened her mouth wide, blood and black saliva dripping onto the exposed skin of Victor’s neck as he slowly came too again, his eyes flicking open for a few moments before closing again. He moved weakly to push Lydia off of him, like the movement took too much effort.

Raj shook his head, trying to pull himself out of his own fearful stillness. He pulled ut his gun and waited for just a second longer.

“Lydia!” He yelled.

She turned her head to him in a quick movement that looked like something out of The Exorcist. He grimaced, looking into her eyes. Her pupils were dilated, irises an odd murky red colour. The whites of her eyes were no longer white. They were yellow and bloodshot, looking irritated and watery as she watched him carefully.

She fell like a stone as the bullet tore through one of her eyes, spraying blood everywhere as it travelled through her skull. It was a clean shot on Raj’s part. His hands had been shaking and the only thing he’d expected was to have grazed her.

Victor wheezed beneath her deadweight, trying weakly to push her off of him. Raj hurried over, kicking her limp body to the side before crouching down. Victor’s expression was one of concentration and pain. He opened his eyes, looking up at Raj. Raj frowned, worried by his lack of communication until…

“My knight in shining armour.” Victor’s voice was a little shaky but the amusement and affection in it didn’t fall flat.

Raj laughed, the sound barely more than a huff of air as he carefully helped Victor sit up. They took a moment, because Victor was feeling a little dizzy, before Raj pulled Victor to his feet. Victor wobbled but managed to keep his balance after grabbing onto Raj’s shoulder.

“We need to get out of here,” Raj said quickly, lifting his hand to wipe away some of the blood that had dripped onto Victor’s face. “Those scientists in there took the step they weren’t supposed to, I’m guessing. Human trials. They’ve fucked us over.” He didn’t have to look around the corner to confirm his theory. He could hear grunting and groaning. Footsteps and screaming as the alarm continued to blare and the lights continued to flash.

A gunshot echoed from somewhere on the other side of the observation lab. Raj could only hope that it had been Alec, who he knew was stationed close to that area. He didn’t have time to check though. He took a moment to close his eyes, wishing his friend the best of luck, praying for his safety and the safety of his family.

Victor stumbled as they began to move, his footing clumsy but not slow. Raj kept an arm around him, not allowing him to slip or fall. Raj knew one thing. Victor was getting out of this alive. No matter what that meant.

They took turn after turn, working their way down the twisting maze of hallways. The screaming seemed to be spreading, reaching a crescendo of torment that rang out through every single hallway. It filled the space, wailing over the alarms. The sound was deftening and Raj found himself resisting the urge to slap his hands over his ears and find somewhere dark to cower.

He kept them moving.

Around more corners. Down more hallways. Past more labs full of people madly trying to pack their life’s work into small kits before leaving. Raj didn’t stop. He ignored all of them. Focused. Determined.

They turned yet another corner. Raj was sent stumbling backwards, his grip on Victor slipping. The world tipped to the side before he was landing on his back. Thankfully the impact wasn’t too bad as he’d managed to brace himself.

He glanced up, feeling himself deflate a little with sudden relief.

Luke had his hands on Victor’s shoulders, steadying the wobbling man as he glanced over at Raj. Jocelyn was moving forward to hold out her hand, her expression hard but kind. Raj took her hand, letting her help him up.

“Thank you,” he mumbled as he brushed himself off.

“Don’t mention it.” She nodded, her hand moving back to her side.

Victor found his balance, although he still looked a little dazed. He stepped over to Raj’s side, looking towards Luke and Jocelyn.

“What now?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Leave a comment and tell me what you'd like to see or what you enjoyed... if you want to. Love you guys!


	5. The Queen and Her Son

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maryse Lightwood and Jace Lightwood

Jace glared straight ahead, not wanting to listen to another second of his adoptive mother’s ranting. He loved her but sometimes she could be a bit too much. He didn’t dare speak up but he made sure his expression was unimpressed and easy to read.

“Can you believe the arrogance of these scientists? Magnus Bane and his team of children are moving to human trials. If this gets out, we’re all ruined.” She said. Jace had heard the same sentence three times in the last hour and a half.

“I don’t even understand how they’re allowed to experiment without supervision. They’re all trigger happy and greedy. If this works, they could go and sell it off and no one would know. Why they’re trusted with things like this, I’ll never know.” She was pacing now, the movement elegant even if it was making Jace feel slightly anxious.

“Magnus Bane...” She repeated to herself, shaking her head as she placed her hands on her hips. She didn’t stop pacing, Jace’s anxiety growing.

“I’m sure Magnus Bane isn’t stupid enough to move it to human trials…” Jace mumbled. He didn’t want to speak too loud but he needed to get something in. He’d talked to Magnus two or three times and it was safe to say the man had Jace under his spell. He was smart and beautiful. He had a laugh like sunshine and a smile to match. His eyes were the softest of browns, warm and inviting and-

“Johnathan. Honestly. What makes you think he’s any different from the other three of them?” Maryse snapped.

“He’s much smarter than at least two of them. If I know anything about Magnus Bane, it’s that he wouldn’t want this to be moved to human trials.” Jace spoke with confidence now, but his voice was still quiet, turning his head to look at her.

“That’s a foolish notion. He’s just like the others. Unreliable and selfish.” Maryse seemed set on believing what she was saying. He knew it was pointless to try and change her mind.

“Sure… Okay.” He looked away, shaking his head.

“Why are you so adamant on sticking up for them?” Maryse asked after a moment.

“Not them. Magnus.” Jace felt himself flush a little. “Because I know him and I know that this isn’t his doing.”

She stared at him for a moment, as if she were seeing right through him. Then, something dawned on her, her expression clouding with something unreadable. Unreadable but definitely not good.

“You don’t have a silly infatuation, as well, do you?” She asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

“Silly infatuation?” Jace frowned. “As well?”

“Yes. Alec seems to have the same attitude towards this Magnus Bane. He’s made that very clear.”

Jace shook his head quickly but didn’t speak. He wasn’t going to flat out lie to his own mother.

“Honestly, Jace. I expected better. One of those scientists? Magnus Bane?” She tutted.

“Dad’s one of them,” Jace snapped.  

Her stormy expression changed for a moment, hurt flashing across her features at the mention of her husband. Jace winced slightly, remembering there had been a lot of fighting recently. The Lightwood siblings, excluding Max, had found out Robert had been cheating on Maryse with someone from the animal studies labs. It was a touchy subject.

“Mom… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean-” She held her hand up and he fell silent.

“It’s quite alright. No need to apologize. I’m being out of line.” She dropped her hand, looking down the hallway.

Jace felt guilt clawing at his chest. He moved over to her, nudging her lightly with his elbow. They were both working but that didn’t stop them from being family. Although his mother was strict at times, she did love him. She loved all of them. Even in her work mindset.

She turned to look at him, about to tell him to get back into position but her expression softened in less than a second. Her eyes were glittering with unshed tears he knew she wouldn’t let fall. He didn’t mention them, giving her a small smile instead.

Maryse turned her body, raising a hand to gently cup his cheek, running a thumb over his cheekbone lightly. He relaxed a little, enjoying the moment.

“Thank you, son…” She whispered.

Jace felt his chest swell with pride. _Son_.

She moved her other hand up to his other cheek, leaning up to kiss his forehead. Jace closed his eyes, letting out a soft sigh. He appreciated the love Maryse was beginning to openly show. Since her husband’s betrayal she’d changed. The sharper edges were becoming blurred and gentle. She was acting more like a mother than a boss. To all of them.

The flashing lights began as Maryse pulled away. The alarm made Jace jump, even though he’d been expecting it as soon as he’d processed the flashing reds.

Maryse spun around, her expression suddenly set and hard, peering down the hallway. She was looking towards the observation lab. She pulled her gun out, holding it up with steady hands. There was screaming coming from the direction they were staring. Jace knew it was Sebastian.

The screaming died down and then came the guttural screech that made him pause and rethink everything he’d been saying minutes before. A gunshot echoed through the hallways, the sound loud over the alarms. Another gunshot, much quieter this time, rang out from further away.

There were footsteps coming down their hallway, Raj and Victor turning the corner. Raj was guiding a shaken looking Victor, eyes on him. They ran past, ignoring both him and Maryse. Jace looked towards his mother, trying to read her expression.

She was walking towards the source of more screams now, her steps slow and calculated. Jace swallowed, following her lead. That was all he knew to do in a situation such as this. It was something no one could have been trained for.

Both of them froze when they heard the first growl. This one didn’t belong to anything human. This was an animal growl. Angry and low and very close. Three wolves padded around the corner, teeth bared as drool dripped from their mouths. They looked wild and hungry.

Jace knew they were the wolves being used to test the different strands of modified rabies on, and that truly scared him. One was covered in scars, its eyes nothing but deep black pupils as it lowered itself down. Another one was foaming at the mouth, one of its eyes missing, the other one a deep red colour. It followed the one to the right in lowering itself down into a stance typical an animal about to pounce on prey.

The one in the middle was stood tall, the biggest of the three. The Alpha. It regarded them carefully before snarling. The sound seemed to vibrate from somewhere deep within its chest. It raised its head after a moment, letting out a sound so devastatingly beautiful that Jace almost lost himself in it.

Maryse shot first, missing as the two smaller wolves darted towards them both. Jace took the second shot, aiming for the one going for Maryse and not for his own. He managed to hit the wolf in the shoulder but that only momentarily stunned it.

His mother called out his name as the wolf covered in scars bolted towards him, not stopping. It was almost at him when Maryse ran forward, putting herself in its path. Jace leapt back, falling onto his ass as Maryse screamed, knocked over by the sheer power of the wolf.

“Go! You have to find Alec and Isabelle!” She yelled to him as she aimed her gun. She screamed again as the wolf sunk its teeth into her wrist. “Go, Jace!”

Jace scrambled up, unsure of what to do. The second wolf, the one he’d shot, advanced on Maryse, sniffing at her as she struggled beneath the other. Jace went for his gun but it wasn’t in his hand. He’d dropped it. It was close to the wolves. He had two choices and he couldn’t take either.

Get the gun or run.

As teeth sank into Maryse’s arm, fear turned to despair and Jace took off down the hallway, eyes stinging with bitter tears as he listened to the screams of the woman who’d taken him in all those years ago.

He sprinted away, not looking back, worried that his own fear would sabotage his escape. He heard the screams beginning to die down… or maybe he was getting too far away to hear them properly.

He turned into a room, kicking the door shut before climbing up onto one of the lab tables. There was a cupboard separating one part of the table from the other, giving a perfect space to hide in.

Jace waited quietly, watching the shadows under the door carefully. He could hear snarls, his heart pounding in his chest as they finally passed the door. Jace jumped off of the table and opened the door quietly.

Jace walked back after making sure the creatures had moved on, finding his way back to the final corner he’d have to turn to determine Maryse’s fate. He advanced slowly, each step taking far too long. He had no idea why he was doing this to himself. Drawing out the inevitable.

When he finally stepped around the corner, the first the he noticed was the puddle of blood still expanding, filling out and moving closer to his feet. Jace froze. He just watched. That’s all he could do. Maryse was laying in the puddle of blood, parts of her body having been ripped wide open. Her neck was the worst, the blood still spurting out like something from a movie scene.

He stepped a little closer, watching in horror. She was perfectly still, her eyes wide open. There was nothing but blood and missing flesh. She didn’t look real. Something about her made Jace want to throw up. She didn’t look like her anymore. Not like a she. Not like a person. Like an it. A thing. Something fake.

Jace moved back quickly, beginning to sprint down the hallway, away from Maryse and away from the wolves. He ran in the same direction he’d seen Raj and Victor go in, figuring that would be safer somehow.

He couldn’t see through tears, his vision blurry. A shape suddenly appeared from around the corner. Jace skidded to a halt, coming face to face with Luke Garroway.

“Jace?” Luke moved quickly as Jace’s knees buckled, darkness clouding his vision for half a second. It hit him in that moment that he couldn’t breathe. He held onto Luke’s shoulders tightly, trying his hardest to get a breath in. “Jace… Take a deep breath for me. Come on.”

Jace looked over his shoulder towards the hallway he’d come from. He could have sworn he saw three shadows looming out of the darkness, the lights still flashing. He turned back to Luke.

“We have to move…” He whispered weakly as the world spun out of focus and then fell away completely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Leave a comment and tell me what you'd like to see or what you enjoyed... if you want to. Love you guys!


	6. The Study and The Artist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raphael Santiago and Meliorn

Raphael sighed as he lifted the vial up into the light. The green leaves submerged in yellow liquid weren’t doing anything. Nothing. No withering. No bubbling. Absolutely nothing.

 _“Dios mío…”_ he muttered to himself with an exasperated sigh.

“What’s wrong?” Meliorn asked, looking up from his notepad.

 _“No puedo-“_ He looked up to see Meliorn raising an eyebrow. “I can’t get it to work.”

Meliorn pushed himself up, walking over to him. Suddenly, they were very close and Raphael felt himself blushing. He handed Meliorn the vial, looking down at his notes to avoid watching the way Meliorn’s eyes seemed to darken with concentration.

“Oh, you made a simple mistake.” Meliorn’s voice was soft and full of a gentle sort of amusement.

“Did I?” Raphael looked up, tilting his head slightly.

“You used the wrong percentage of water. There’s too much in there to make any difference to the condition the plant was already in.” He handed the vial back with a smile as warm as sunshine. “It shouldn’t take too long to redo. I’ll help if you want?”

Raphael took the vial, shaking his head quickly. “I can do it. It’s alright.”

Meliorn nodded, his smile never losing any of its softness. “Alright. I’ll leave you to it then.”

Raphael nodded, watching as Meliorn walked back over to his desk before turning around to restart his experiment. He wasn’t even sure why he was doing the experiment in the first place, if he was being completely honest. It was just something to do. He’d finished what he’d been studying and hadn’t wanted to interrupt Meliorn.

Meliorn was deep in what he was doing, so Raphael risked a glance over at him. He was sketching the succulent in front of him, head tilted slightly and his hair tied out of his face. His brown eyes were flicking between his paper and the tiny plant in front of him. It was almost hypnotising to watch him work and Raphael found himself slowly slipping into the trance.

“I know you’re looking at me. Do you need any help?” Meliorn asked, his voice far too quiet but it still carried over the space between them, making Raphael shiver slightly.

“No. I was just intrigued- with what you were doing, obviously.” Raphael shrugged, his confidence wavering as Meliorn looked at him once again.

“You can come over, you know? You don’t have to stand there.”

Raphael nodded, walking over. He walked slowly, on purpose, trying to make himself seem less eager as he sank into the seat beside Meliorn. He liked being near the other scientist. There was something about him. Something calming. A lifetime of experience rested in those brown eyes, alongside infinite peace and patience.

“You’re alive, right?” Meliorn asked, snapping Raphael out of another dazed state.

“I think so.” Raphael nodded. The heart hammering in his chest under the careful inspection of Meliorn was enough evidence to support his statement.

“Do you mind if I use you as one of my living studies then?”

Raphael spluttered before clearing his throat. He’d done so well to remain stoic and cool for so long. Why was it all slipping now?

“Not at all.” He gave a shrug which he hoped looked nonchalant.

Meliorn smiled again and Raphael felt all the tension slowly ease out of his body. His shoulders sagged a little and his chin lifted. It wasn’t exactly a confidence boost but he felt more comfortable. Less self-conscious.

Raphael watched as Meliorn turned the page of his sketchpad, picking up a new pencil. The other one had become blunt and it seemed Meliorn had no time to sharpen it. There was an eager curiosity playing across Meliorn’s sharp features. It made him look slightly mischievous, like he was planning something.

With his heart thrumming in his chest, Raphael settled into a casual position that he’d be able to hold without becoming too stiff or uncomfortable. Meliorn seemed pleased with this, giving a slight nod as he began to sketch.

The soft scratching sound of pencil on paper was soothing to Raphael who hadn’t slept for a couple of days. He’d been too busy. The minutes began to fade into one another, time stretching out and seeming endless. It was a peaceful feeling. He felt endless. The moment felt endless.

Meliorn seemed content with their silence, concentration etched into his expression. Raphael caught himself smiling softly to himself, shaking his head after a moment. The smile disappeared but he felt the change in his expression. His brow no longer felt heavy and the cold look he always tried to maintain had softened entirely. He would have tried to fix his state but he couldn’t find the point of doing so.

Meliorn looked happy.

The minutes continued to go on, the sounds of light breathing and light scratching being the only thing Raphael could hear. He felt his eyelids drooping slightly. Everything felt warm. All the usual sharp edges in the room had become soft and slightly blurry, as if put through a filter. Raphael could feel his own breathing begin to slow and his body lose most of the tension it always held. If Meliorn had noticed the shift in his demeanour, he didn’t mention it. He simply continued to sketch.

Raphael leant back in the chair, glad to find it actually had a back to it. He wasn’t going to fall asleep but he wanted to be comfortable. He’d been stood up before, for almost two hours. He’d also lost out on lots of sleep. He deserved a moment of rest.

Meliorn paused. Raphael was about to apologise for moving but the other man simply gave him a fond look.

Raphael felt himself melt under that look, a smile spreading before he could stop it. It wasn’t a nice sort of smile though. One that felt good and natural. His eyelids still heavy, cheeks tingling with slight heat as he flushed, smile dazed and relaxed.

“If I knew drawing you would get you so open, I would have done it sooner,” Meliorn commented. His voice was gentle, barely disturbing the comfortable bubble of silence around the two of them.

“I’ve never been drawn before…” It was the only thing Raphael could think to say.

Meliorn chuckled softly, the sound reminding Raphael of spring and sunshine. “I’m glad I’m your first.”

Raphael felt himself flush again, shifting slightly at that.

“Yeah. I’m glad you are as well.” He nodded a little.

Everything went back to silence and warmth. They kept locking eyes, Meliorn catching his gaze after glancing over the top of his sketchpad.

“What do you intend to do with the drawing once you’re done?” Raphael asked quietly after what felt like hours.

“Well, that depends on if you like it or not. I might give it to you.” Meliorn gave a slight shrug.

“I’m sure I’ll like it.” Raphael nodded again.

The lights changed in the blink of an eye, the soft orange glow of the room becoming a harsh flashing red. The alarm whirred to life and Raphael winced. It was bad enough that he was tired already. Within seconds of the loud wailing of the alarm, Raphael felt pressure building up behind his eyes. He was prone to migraines. Bad ones.

Meliorn got up at the sound of distant screaming. He closed his sketchpad and placed it down before Raphael got a look inside. They both moved towards the window into the hallway. There was no immediate threat and the screaming didn’t seem to be coming from anywhere too close by.

Meliorn looked back at Raphael as he hissed in pain, rubbing his fingers against his temples to try and ease the still building pressure that was becoming an inescapable ache. There was nothing Meliorn, or Raphael, could do about his headache. Not unless there were strong pain meds close by.

A loud, inhuman scream echoed over the alarm, making both of them snap their attention back to the hallway, Raphael’s pain momentarily forgotten. The gunshot that followed the scream was far too close for Raphael’s liking. The second one came a few moments later. Neither of them could place where either sound had come from. The winding hallways holding the ability to twist the sounds until they had no true distinguishable source point.

“We should get out of here before the whole place goes into lockdown,” Meliorn said over the alarms.

Raphael simply nodded, following Meliorn as he stepped out into the hallway.

Now out in the open, more screams were beginning to start. The screams of people fearing for their lives. Gunshots were now going off all around them. Raphael was almost certain that he heard the screams of Maryse Lightwood, but he couldn’t be sure.

His headache, which had been pushed aside in his momentary panic, came back with the force of a freight train. He pressed his hand to his forehead and frowned, suddenly feeling rather sick. Meliorn glanced at him, looking worried. He held out a hand and Raphael took it. Meliorn was warm, his touch comforting as they began to walk.

They turned a corner and froze.

There was a body laying in the middle of the hallway, unmoving and bloody. Raphael noticed, with a rather sickening twist of satisfaction in his gut, that the body belonged to Lydia Branwell who had tried to get him fired at least three times. Meliorn had the exact same expression on his face as he squinted at her.

“Come on…” He began pulling Raphael along, cautiously stepping around the body before picking up the speed.

They didn’t encounter anyone else, or anymore corpses, but the screaming continued to get louder. There were footsteps and growling down each hallway they passed but they were fast enough to go unnoticed.

Meliorn pulled Raphael around yet another corner and stopped dead in his tracks. Right in front of them was Robert Lightwood. He was staring dead ahead, eyes bloodshot and clouded.

His head snapped towards the two of them and he began to advance, snarling as saliva dripped from the corners of his open mouth. His movements were clumsy and slow, his arms stretching out like something from a classic zombie movie but somehow more horrific.

Raphael winced, tears of pain springing to his eyes as the sound of a gun being fired sent a jolt of pain through him. His headache was gradually getting worse and worse the longer the alarms and the screaming went on.

Robert’s body fell to the floor with the grace of a hunk of meat being thrown from the back of a van.

Luke was stood on the other side, watching the two of them. His gun was still raised, pointed directly at Meliorn. Raphael moved to stand in front of him but suddenly became aware of Jocelyn who was trailing him with her own gun. He stopped moving.

“Were you bitten?” Luke asked.

Both of them shook their heads.

“No. Were you?” Meliorn countered.

“No.” Luke lowered his gun, Jocelyn doing the same.

“What’s going on?” Raphael asked after a moment of the four of them just staring at each other.

“Magnus’ group went to human trials.” Jocelyn spoke up.

Luke gave her a displeased look before nodding and looking back at Raphael and Meliorn.

“Magnus would never-“

“You don’t have to tell me. I know. Sebastian and Lydia probably went behind his back and Robert followed their lead.” Luke spoke before Jocelyn could say anything.

Raphael nodded, glad that he wasn’t the only one very aware the idea of Magnus Bane being behind human trials was absolutely ridiculous.

“Come on.” Luke walked towards them before passing them, leading them up the hallway behind them. “We’re going to find Clary and Simon and then we’re leaving.”

Meliorn and Raphael simply glanced at each other before nodding, following silently.


	7. The Detective and The Bodyguard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke Garroway and Jocelyn Fairchild

Luke shook his head with an amused smile. Jocelyn was looking at him with an unimpressed expression, although there was fondness in the curve of her lips, her eyes soft even as she rolled them at him.

“We’re not teenagers anymore,” he said softly, placing his hands on her shoulders. He leant forward to kiss her forehead, sighing happily as she leant into the touch.

“That doesn’t mean we can’t go out.” She looked up at him once he’d pulled back.

“Of course it doesn’t. But it is only Tuesday.” He raised an eyebrow.

“So?” She took a step forward, wrapping her arms around him. “Clary is staying with Maia all week. We’re alone. We can do whatever we want.”

“And people say I’m the bad influence,” Luke mumbled as he pulled her into a proper hug, smiling at the way she fit so perfectly against his body. She placed her head on his shoulder and his eyes closed, enjoying the moment. It was warm outside, the rare sunlight streaming down on them, lighting up the dull area around them.

“That’s because you are.” He heard her mumbled the words into the crook of his neck. He snorted out a laugh, shaking his head.

“Honestly, Jocelyn.”

She laughed as well, the sound making Luke’s chest tight. He looked down at her, the tightness in his chest only getting worse as she looked up at him. He felt her shift, standing a little taller to press a kiss to his cheek. It was nice and innocent. Something pure.

“I love you, Luke. Even if you can be boring sometimes.” She spoke softly, almost in a whisper.

“And I love you, Jocelyn. Even if you mistake rationality for being boring sometimes.” He replied just softly, tilting his head slightly.

She shook her head, giving him a slight squeeze before pulling back as someone walked past. They wouldn’t have looked very professional snuggled up against the wall like two teenagers.

Luke pushed his hands into his pockets, looking around. He took in the vast amounts of cars in the facility’s parking lot, raising his eyebrow. _Car park_ , he corrected himself. They were stationed in Britain after all.  

“Have you heard what Magnus’ lot are doing?” Jocelyn asked after a moment of silence.

Luke shook his head.

“Apparently, they’re moving onto human trials.”

Luke frowned at that. That didn’t sound right.

“I know Magnus. He wouldn’t agree to that.” Luke’s frown deepened. “He definitely wouldn’t agree to something like that.”

Jocelyn shrugged. “I saw someone being lead to the observation lab. I didn’t see Magnus there though. Maybe you’re right.”

“I know I’m right. I’ve been friends with Magnus for years.”

She gave him a small nod, patting his shoulder gently. Her expression told him she believed him so he didn’t say anything else, falling back into the comfortable silence they had been sharing before.

After a little while, Luke stretched a little. He’d been stood up for a few hours and really fancied a sandwich but knew his break wasn’t for another half hour yet. Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he caught sight of someone walking out of the facility. They seemed shrouded in storm, shoulders back and head high with a confidence and anger that left him unchallenged. But, as Luke turned his head to follow the figure, he disappeared around the corner.

It wasn’t unusual for someone to leave the facility. It was, however, unusual for them to leave looking so angry and powerful. He found himself wanting to follow the figure, having not had enough chance to truly register who it was.

Jocelyn looked at him, following his line of sight, staring at the corner the figure had stepped around.

“What? What did you see?” She asked, sounding curious.

“I thought- Nothing.” He shook his head. “Nothing of importance.”

She raised an eyebrow but dropped it with a small nod. They had done four hours of a nine-hour long shift and the time was dragging by slowly. Neither of them were in the mood to really grill the other.

Nothing happened, like usual. People came in and out. A few people nodded to them but they mostly went unnoticed. Luke watched a man pull up, get out of his car, pull a goat out of his back seat and walk inside. It was nothing new but the scene had been quite amusing. Especially when he heard the man cursing the goat, imaginatively named ‘Billy’, for having eaten part of his interior. The goat simply stared at him, chewing slowly on something as if it were trying to spite the scientist.

Their shifts were always uneventful. They had one of the most boring jobs to have been handed out. Watching over who came in and out. Not once had there been a breach in security. Not once had they stopped someone from coming in who wasn’t supposed to be there. The most eventful thing Luke could ever remember doing was stopping Sebastian from entering the building with two bottles of Jack Daniels badly hidden under his lab coat. He’d been planning on attempting to get the apes drunk.

It was ten minutes to their break when the alarms began to go off. There were no windows where they were stood but the flashing red lights somehow reached them. Luke and Jocelyn watched as all the gates began to close.

They glanced at each other before turning to the closest set of doors and barging through them.

They were met with nothing.

Luke looked around with a frown, startled by a loud screaming coming from down the hallway. Jocelyn gasped.

“That’s Sebastian,” she stated.

Neither of them moved to help.

They stood where they were, listening to the sounds. The screaming stopped, followed by an animalistic scream the echoed down to them. It was far too close for Luke’s liking. A gunshot, also rather close, rang out seconds later.

Another gunshot went off, on their right this time. Screams were beginning to start again. Footsteps to their left made both Luke and Jocelyn turn. There was nobody there but an empty hallway that turned off into another one.

Luke raised his hand to Jocelyn, signalling to move forward as he pulled out his gun. She nodded, following his lead as the cautiously began to move forward. It wasn’t long before they were stopping, pressing themselves against a wall. Luke peered around the corner.

There was someone running towards them, breathing hard as they pressed their hand against a gaping wound in their neck. Luke was about to step and help when they dropped to the floor, screaming in pain.

Out of pure instinct he’d began to count from the moment they’d dropped to the floor.

One… Two… Three…

Their breaths became gurgling gasps as they began to writhe on the floor, screams rattling in their chest.

Four… Five… Six…

There were weird snapping sounds coming from the body that was still writhing, the breathing becoming inaudible before stopping. They seemed to be suffocating… or drowning on their own blood.

Seven… Eight… Nine…

They were clawing at their own throat now, seemingly losing control of the rest of their body. Their skin was becoming mottled, an odd blue tint spreading before Luke’s eyes.

Ten… Eleven… Twelve…

Their eyes rolled back in their sockets, eyelids closing as the writing became only slight twitching. And then it stopped altogether.

Thirteen…

Their eyes snapped open again and they scrambled madly to their feet, arching their back and letting out a bloodcurdling scream. Luke ducked back behind the wall as the person’s head turned towards him in a quick and jerky action.

Luke held his breath as he listened to the sound of shuffling footsteps. He knew he’d been spotted. He knew what action he had to take but he didn’t want to use the gun in his hand. He didn’t want to kill someone who had been so human seconds ago.

The shell of a human came lumbering around the corner and Luke was quick to act. He shoved them away, hard enough to send them skidding across the floor. The creature let out a scream of anguish, heaving itself back up before beginning to advance on him once again. It was getting faster. More sure of itself.

Luke raised his gun, letting out a puff of air to steady himself. Steady his aim.

Blood and chunks of skull flew through the air before dropping to the ground with a sound oddly similar to rainfall. The body of the former man fell a second later, a heap of crumpled flesh and twisted limbs.

Luke moved forward, kicking the body with his toe. It didn’t move. He allowed himself to breathe again, motioning for Jocelyn to follow him as he began making his way to the library.

They turned a few corners, through the maze of hallways, before Luke stopped Jocelyn again. The body of Robert Lightwood was stood in the hallway, beyond it was Raphael and Meliorn, stood together.

Robert began to advance and Luke knew there was no hope for the man. He shot again, watching as the body fell to the floor with no elegance or grace.

He kept his gun on Meliorn, his cautious nature getting the better of him. He watched Raphael begin to move forward but he stopped when he noticed Jocelyn by Luke’s side.

“Were you bitten?” Luke asked, watching them both carefully.

Both of them shook their heads.

“No. Were you?” Meliorn countered, giving him a very calm look.

“No.” Luke lowered his gun. He saw Jocelyn do the same out of the corner of his eye.

“What’s going on?” Raphael asked. His voice was stern but slightly shaky. He looked oddly pale. Luke couldn’t be sure if it was the lights or something else.

“Magnus’ group went to human trials.” Jocelyn spoke beside him. He felt himself bristle slightly as he looked at her, sighing through his nose and shaking his head.

He turned his gaze back to the other two as Raphael spoke.

“Magnus would never-“

“You don’t have to tell me. I know. Sebastian and Lydia probably went behind his back and Robert followed their lead.” Luke spoke before Jocelyn could say anything, knowing she didn’t truly believe his theory.

Raphael nodded, looking glad that Luke had agreed with him.

“Come on.” Luke walked towards them before passing them, leading them up the hallway behind them. “We’re going to find Clary and Simon and then we’re leaving.”

He didn’t bother to look back at them. He knew both Meliorn and Raphael were following.

They continued on together, only encountering one other creature. Luke had killed it instantly, knowing that the longer they were in their new state, the more they were beginning to learn about their bodies and what they could do.

Corner after corner became a dizzying pattern that almost had Luke disoriented. So much so that he was no longer fully checking where he was going.

He collided into two people, reaching out to grab the first person he could to stop them from falling. The other fell to the floor, letting out a soft _‘oof’._

Luke looked at the person he was holding up, recognising Victor Aldertree. The man looked a little dazed and wobbly on his feet, blood spattered over his face and all over his clothes.

Luke glanced over, watching Jocelyn move forward to hold out her hand. She helped the other man up and Luke realised it was Raj.

“Thank you,” he mumbled as he brushed himself off.

“Don’t mention it.” Jocelyn moved back to Luke’s side.

 

Victor seemed to find his balance, although he still looked a little dazed. He stepped over to Raj’s side, out of Luke’s grip, looking towards Luke and Jocelyn.

“What now?” Raj asked.

Luke watched them closely as Meliorn and Raphael caught up. Raphael seemed to be struggling a little, leaning against Meliorn in the same way Victor had moved over to Raj to do.

“First off. Were you bitten?” Jocelyn asked.

Both of them shook their heads.

“Right. Good. Our next step is to find the library. We have to get Clary.” Jocelyn stepped forward.

Luke watched her. “And Simon.”

“And Simon.” She nodded.

“Okay.” Raj nodded to Meliorn and Raphael, getting a nod back from Meliorn. Raphael was too busy watching the hallway.

“I can hear something,” he mumbled to Meliorn.

They all fell silent.

Luke gave a small nod at hearing the sound of echoing footsteps. He stepped out into the hallway, surprised to find himself face to face with a crying Jace Lightwood.

“Jace?” Luke asked, moving quickly as he noticed Jace’s knees buckle, his eyes closing for half a second as a few tears slipped down his cheeks. Jace’s hand gripped Luke’s shoulders tightly. It was obvious he wasn’t breathing properly. He was taking in gasps that were far too close together and shallow. “Jace… Take a deep breath for me. Come on.”

Luke watched as Jace looked over his shoulder towards the hallway he’d come from. He seemed to tense up. Like he’d seen something. Luke peered behind him but found nothing. Jace turned back to him.

“We have to move…” He whispered weakly. His eyes rolled back as he collapsed, legs giving out.

Luke caught him, lifting him up with ease. He may have been a deadweight in Luke’s arms, but Luke was strong enough to carry him.

“We need to get to the library now.” He said, voice spiked with urgency as he looked at the rest of his group. They were all giving him the same sort of look. Luke knew the look far too well and wasn’t happy about it.

“We are not leaving him here.” Luke protested before anyone could say anything.

“I know it’s not fair…” Jocelyn started slowly, like she was trying to coax a small child out of a tantrum. “But he’s going to slow us down. We need to get to Clary.”

“There are six of us. Even if I fall behind, that’s five people up ahead.” Luke felt his temper flare.

“Yes, I know, but-“

“And you all know damn well that Jace would carry each and every one of us out f here if this was the other way around.” He stared at each person individually.

“That’s true…” Raphael’s agreement came as a shock to all of them but it was a welcome sort of shock for Luke.

“I’m the one carrying him. And I’m going to continue to carry him until he wakes up. Does anyone have any more complaints?” He raised an eyebrow.

Nobody said a word, except for Raphael who mumbled something softly to Meliorn. Meliorn nodded a little.

“If you need a rest at any point, we’ll be happy to take him.”

Luke gave a quick smile. “Thank you.”

Raphael gave him a small nod.

“Let’s go.”


	8. The Warriors and Their Wolves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maia Roberts and Gretel Monroe

Gretel spun around with a look of pure disbelief on her face.

“Are they Doritos?” She asked, staring at her friend and co-worker, Maia Roberts.

Maia put another Dorito in her mouth, shrugging slightly with a soft ‘mmm’ as she stared at Gretel. There was a mischief in her eyes that Gretel had grown to know and tolerate over the years of working with the other woman.

“We’re in a lab.” Gretel reminded her, voice not holding any of the bite she wanted it to.

“Are we? Didn’t notice.” Maia walked over to Gretel, holding out the packet to her. She wiggled it slightly, the contents of the packet rattling slightly as the strong scent of cheese hit her in the face. “Want one?”

“No. Not really.” Gretel turned in her chair again, picking up her pen so she could continue her notes on the change in their research. She was allowed two seconds of peace before she felt Maia behind her. She sighed, closing her eyes for a moment, but didn’t react further.

“Are you sure?” Maia asked, pressing up against her back, wrapping one arm around her to hold the packet in front of her again.

“Yes, I’m sure.” She couldn’t help smiling a little bit. “When you’re done tormenting me and eating in a lab, would you go and feed the wolves?”

Maia let out a long suffering sigh, pulling back as she finished the last of her Doritos. “Sure.”

She crinkled up the packet and threw it into the bin, moving to grab a large bucket full of freshly cut up meat. They both worked in the animal research strand of the lab. Maia and Gretel were the ones in charge of the wolves with the different strands of rabies. It was an interesting job that both hated and loved.

It was unprofessional but they’d formed bonds with two of the wolves, the ones who had been unaffected since they were given a placebo dose. The others were too unruly and dangerous.

Gretel and Maia had named their wolves.

Gretel had fallen in love with a scarred wolf. Her fur was pure white, not a single marking on it other than a grey stripe running down her tale. Her eyes were dark, constantly focused on something just beyond anyone else’s line of sight. She was magnificent. Beautiful. Unique. And yet she was also gentle. She whined whenever the other wolves made too much noise, curling herself up in the corner of her cage. Gretel had named her Sneachta.

Maia had created a bond with a smaller wolf. The only other female. She was fast and strong, eyes an odd clouded green. She snarled at every person who walked past. Every person but Maia. Her fur was brown, mottled with grey. She was full of power. Full of energy. Maia had named her Laoch.

The others didn’t have names.

Maia walked towards the cages that were down a tiny corridor connected to their lab. She fed each wolf their share of the meat before pausing to crouch in front of Laoch’s cage. She peered in, tilting her head slightly as the wolf stepped forward. They held eye contact for a moment before both bowing their heads at the same time, Laoch’s eyes closing slightly as she settled herself into a submissive position.

Maia stood, watching as Laoch moved to her food before leaving.

“I’m pretty sure you have notes to be writing,” Gretel said softly as soon as Maia had finished washing her hands.

Maia rolled her eyes, pulling a face behind Gretel’s back.

“Don’t be so immature. You’re a scientist. Not a child.”

“Really? What’s the difference?” She walked over to her own chair, sitting down. “Both scientists and children repeat stuff until they get it right. They also make messes, create problems, throw tantrums and improvise like us. Not to mention we need about the same amount of naps. And-“

“Alright. You’ve made your point.” Gretel interrupted her, sighing. She wasn’t looking at Maia but she could practically feel her grin forming.

“Are you giving in?” Maia asked.

“If I say yes, will you let me work?” Gretel glanced over at the slightly younger woman, her cold gaze melting slightly at the youthful joy she saw on Maia’s face.

“I guess. If that’s what you really want.”

“Then yes.”

“I’m hurt.”

“Good.”

“You’re no fun.”

“I’m plenty fun. Just not when I have things to do.” Gretel protested.

“That’s something someone who isn’t any fun would say.” Maia crossed her arms over her chest, raising an eyebrow in challenge.

“We’re going out tonight then.” Gretel shook her head, turning away. “We’ll go out tonight and I’ll show you how much fun I am.”

“But, Gretel…” Maia’s tone was mockingly shocked. “It’s a work night.”

“Do you set out every day with the intent of annoying me?” Gretel asked, not gracing Maia’s statement with a reaction.

“Yes. That’s exactly what I do.” Maia nodded sincerely. “I wake up every day with a massive smile. _‘Hmmm, what could I do today that would totally annoy Gretel?’_ I ask myself as a pour my cereal. I have a skip in my step as I come to work, plotting how to ruin your day.”

“You drive to work,” Gretel deadpanned.

Maia snorted and shook her head but couldn’t say anything in retaliation. Gretel was correct.

“Anyway. Did you talk to Robert this morning?” Maia asked.

“I did.” Gretel nodded. “Why?”

“Did he tell you about the human trials?”

Gretel frowned, shaking her head. “No. No he didn’t.”

“Oh. Well. Him, Sebastian and Lydia are moving to human trials. They should have started by now, I think.” Maia shrugged slightly but there was a sudden look in her eyes, her expression stormy.

“What about Magnus? Isn’t he team leader or whatever?”

“He didn’t want anything to do with it. As much as I despise most of the people up there, Magnus can be decent.” Maia shook her head. “He wouldn’t take part.”

Gretel nodded a little. “Well, I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what happens.”

They both fell silent as Maia nodded as well.

Maia finally decided to get on with her own work, knowing there was no other way to lead the conversation. She hummed softly to herself as she tapped her pen against her bottom lip, squinting at the writing on her paper. If she was going to be completely honest, she’d been distracted while writing the first part of her notes. They made no sense to her now. Some of them were nothing more than squiggles… or maybe that was an s-

The room was thrown into darkness before red lights began to flash. Maia and Gretel looked up in unison before looking towards each other.

It was far too easy to guess what was happening as the alarms started.

The screaming started, quiet at first. Even from such a distance away, both Maia and Gretel heard the bloodcurdling screams of Sebastian. They didn’t move. Gretel had to be honest with herself. She truly didn’t care about him. He was getting his comeuppance.

Maia was the first to get up, moving towards the door as Sebastian’s screaming stopped, followed by a horrendous noise that could never have been made by something human.

As Maia reached the door, the screams were beginning to spread through the facility, gunshots going off.

“Shit…” Gretel whispered from behind her.

Maia turned slowly, watching as three wolves walked up the small corridor, looking hungry and wild. The power surge from the whole building going into lockdown must have short-circuited the cages.

“Maia.” Gretel didn’t take her eyes off the large creatures. “Open the door.”

Maia moved slowly, opening the door, stepping up beside Gretel. The biggest wolf snarled, standing tall as it watched them. The other two continued to advance as the alpha stopped.

A loud growl sounded from behind the three wolves and Gretel found herself holding her breath as she spotted the snow white fur. Sneachta.

Her wolf stepped towards the alpha, her stance holding no sign of submission. She was staring at him, holding his gaze as her ears went back slightly. She was getting ready to fight. Laoch stood by her side, green eyes flitting between the two other wolves that had turned to look at them.

Maia and Gretel slowly began to move. They didn’t back out of the room, instead carefully making an arch through the room until they were stood almost behind their wolves. None of the animals moved. They were staring at each other. Waiting.

The alpha moved first, leaping towards Sneachta who met him half way. They locked in a deadly wrestling match, yipping and snarling as they rolled and scratched. Fur flew off of each one of them, grey and pure white all stained with blood.

The other three didn’t move as they watched to see who won.

Sneachta managed to lock her jaw, teeth deep in the back of the alpha’s neck. There was a loud noise from outside the room. The slightly smaller wolves turned back, spotting someone running past. Sneachta let go of the alpha and it backed up. In a fluid movement, the three violent wolves left the room to follow the man who had ran past, the alpha having sensed that killing Maia, Gretel, Sneachta and Laoch was too much hassle.

Sneachta turned to Maia and Gretel, her white fur patchy with blood, mouth dripping with saliva turned crimson. She regarded them both calmly before walking forward to stand by Gretel’s side. Laoch did the same for Maia.

The two scientists looked at each other. The situation was surreal, they didn’t dare move for a moment.

“There’s more likely more trouble coming,” Maia said. “We should… Probably leave,” she added helpfully.

Gretel nodded, holding her breath as she took a cautious step. Sneachta followed her lead. She took another step, Sneachta still followed, not making a move to harm Gretel. She seemed almost happy by her side. Gretel’s steps became more confident until she was walking normally, Maia and Laoch following her.

They made their way to a back exit, pushing the door open. There was nothing to stop them as they hurried out, wanting to fine refuge somewhere before whatever had happened in that lab spread further than they had managed to reach.


	9. The Lonely Cannibal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Simon Lewis

 Simon yawned, nodding to Clary as she walked past. He was sat in the lab’s library which was completely, hermetically sealed off from the rest of the facility. Simon was sure it was because the library wasn’t really a place the facility wanted to put much money into. They usually left it up to donations and the good work of the resident librarian scientists Maureen Brown and Clary Fray.

“Don’t fall asleep in the corner again!” Clary called as she turned down another corridor of books. Simon gave a small nod but didn’t reply. He wasn’t going to, even if the place was warm and his eyelids were beginning to dip…

Simon jerked awake, looking around. There were alarms going off, the room dim and the lights flickering as red flashing came from somewhere at the other end of the library. He could hear screaming and quick footsteps. There were gun shots going off from every direction. He stumbled out of his corner of the library, disoriented and confused as he looked for Clary or Maureen or anyone.

As usual, he was left not knowing what the hell was going on.

He rubbed at his eyes under his glasses before settling them back onto the bridge of his nose. It was confusing to try and navigate through the winding maze of shelves. It all looked so different in the dark. It all looked so much larger and it seemed to have been going on forever.

There didn’t seem to be a single soul in the library. Not a single person wandering around, checking for people or just looking lost like him. He felt it then. He felt the crushing fear of being completely and utterly alone.

He finally managed to make it to the main desk, finding a disturbing amount of mess. Clary and Maureen never let anything get messy. Simon sighed, knowing he should be evacuating but the urge to was rather far away. He was still sleepy and rather hungry. He bent down to pick up a book, frowning a little as he caught sight of his own hand.

Simon was looking unnaturally pale, his skin seemingly having an odd grey tint to it. For a moment, he felt the beginnings of panic but then the light shifted in the room and he was back to normal. He shrugged it off and picked up the book he’d originally reached for. As he closed it, he caught a scent of something sweet. He breathed in deep through his nose. The smell was intoxicating. Amazing.

He opened his eyes to follow the smell, tipping his head as he reached an odd-looking trail on the floor. The lighting in the room shifted once more and he stumbled back. Blood. There was a trail of blood on the floor. His stomach grumbled as he looked at the blood, which was odd because it seemed the longer he focused on the crimson trail, the hungrier he became.

Deciding to ignore the feeling, he followed the blood around the corner to find a horrific sight. A man was laying on the floor, his stomach open and the contents of his stomach missing from his body. Sat by him was another man, holding something red and slimy looking up to his mouth. Simon was about to say something when he realised that this wasn’t just an odd scientist thing. The scientist still alive was eating the other one’s stomach.

Simon froze, the cannibal before him slowly looking up. His eyes were odd and bloodshot, the whites tinged yellow. His skin was pale, almost grey. Simon wasn’t sure why, but he felt the need to address him as ‘it’ because whatever _it_ was, was not human.

It regarded him lazily, taking another bite of its stomach sized happy meal. Simon’s stomach churned but not with sickness. It was hunger making him feel as though his own stomach were rattling around inside him. He finally managed to tear himself out of his odd trance and turned to run.

“Simon?” Jace was stood in front of him, staring hard. Why was he staring?

Simon grunted.

Jace raised his gun, aiming it directly at Simon’s head. Simon cowered back, unsure of why he had a gun pointed at him. He noticed that Jace wasn’t looking too good, his clothes and hands covered in blood. His stomach gurgled.

“Jace! You can’t. We have to go… leave him.” Clary ran over, looking at Simon with tears in her eyes. “Please, Jace… Just leave him.” She took his arm and pulled until he gave in, lowering his gun. Jace looked a little distant as he kept his gaze on Simon.

“I’m sorry…” He turned, letting Clary pull him away.

Simon grunted again, louder this time, taking a step to follow them. His feet weren’t working properly. His step was more of a shuffle. He groaned in annoyance, trying to speed himself up but he felt as if he were walking through tar. He couldn’t catch up. They weren’t even running. He should have been able to catch up.

He stopped walking, staring blankly as Jace turned at the door. He watched Simon before shaking his head.

The door was pushed closed.

Simon was left alone.

Simon groaned again, a dismayed sort of groan…

Why was he groaning?

He tried to call out Clary’s name but his tongue felt thick and limp in his mouth. He tried wiggling it around a little and found that all he could achieve was drooling all over himself. Why was there so much saliva in his mouth and why was it black?

He wiped at his mouth. His flesh felt cold. Or did it? He couldn’t feel any sensation, just the ghost of sensations he knew he should be feeling. He couldn’t feel his glasses or the clothes on his body. He could feel the slight pinch of his slightly-too-small shoes. He couldn’t even feel the ground beneath him. Just ghosts of the feelings until he tried to focus on them. As soon as his mind reached out, they scattered and left him feeling hollow.

He tried to take a step towards the door but the floor didn’t seem to be there. He panicked as he keeled forwards, only to find that the floor was definitely there. His head bounced of the carpet covered concrete with a sickening _thwack_ but he didn’t feel it. He didn’t feel a single thing.

Simon tried to push himself up, feeling as if he were about to be sick. He was going to cry, panic rising. It left him paralyzed, curled up on the floor.

He didn’t know what to do.

He couldn’t call for help.

He couldn’t do a damn thing.

The feeling came again.

The crushing fear of being completely and utterly…

_“Alone.”_


End file.
